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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27853990">Bright Black Heaven - a SuDong Two-Shot</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightSiyeon/pseuds/TwilightSiyeon'>TwilightSiyeon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:02:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27853990</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightSiyeon/pseuds/TwilightSiyeon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Space ships, piracy, love and death. For Bora and Handong escaping from a prison colony leads them down a dangerous path of forbidden experiments, traps, gun fights and what it ultimately means to be human.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Dong | Handong/Kim Bora | SuA, Kim Minji | JiU/Lee Siyeon, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Yubin | Dami</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>DreamCatcher Pirate Ficfest 2k20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first part of a two-shot! Part 2 will be posted on Sunday, Dec 6 at 7pm GMT+1, so please stay tuned.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>„If you rats want your rations today, you better pound those rocks harder and faster!” The prison guard in his shiny armored spacesuit walked his usual route behind the prisoners. Electric whip in hand, he felt high and mighty, like a medieval feudal lord ordering around his vassals. “Rule Number 1! You smash rocks, you get to eat! It’s as simple as that!”</p>
<p>A short black haired woman in her mid-twenties looked to her left. “How are you holding up, Dongie?,” she asked her partner. “I’m okay, Borabora. It’s only 20 minutes until shift change so we’re almost done, right?” The woman with the bright orange hair smiled at her. Bora just couldn’t understand how her lover was seemingly never tired or lost her sense of humor. Could anything diminish her sheer positivity?</p>
<p>Suddenly the light from the distant sun was blocked by something massive. The pair turned around to see the prison guard standing right behind them. Looking up, they could see his entitled face through the visor of the space suit. “No talking! Rule Number 2! And you know what happens to rule breakers! Stand up, Prisoner!” With the big enlarged hand of his exoskeleton he grabbed Dongie by her helmet and lifted her up off the ground. On the head-up display of his visor he could see the prisoner’s file.</p>
<p>
  <em>Prisoner #: D1301</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Name: HANDONG</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Home Planet: UNKNOWN</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Crime: PIRACY</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sentence: LIFE</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Possibility of Parole: NONE</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Behavior: INSUBORDINATE</em>
</p>
<p>“Prisoners! This is going to serve as a demonstration of what happens to rule breakers!” He turned Handong around so her back was facing him, put down on the ground again and took two steps back. The whip in his hand began to light up, with blue and red sparks crackling around it. “Ten whips for insubordination!” Electricity shot through Handong as the whip smashed into her back with enormous force. Her face contorted from the pain as she dropped to her hands and knees. “Get up, prisoner! You’re far from done!,” he shouted as he continued to punish Handong for all the other inmates to see. Handong’s partner watched with tears streaming down her face. “Please! Stop!” Her hoarse screams could only be heard by herself. The microphone of her and all the other helmets of her fellow prisoners had been turned off remotely. She could scream and cry all she wanted an no one would be able to hear anything.</p>
<p>When Handong finally succumbed to the last hit of the whip she fell unconsciously to the ground. Bora ran to her, holding the limp body in her arms. Rage filled her eyes and every fiber of her being when she looked up at the guard. Just like with Handong before, Bora’s file appeared on the HUD:</p>
<p>
  <em>Prisoner #: 1701</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Name: KIM BORA</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Home Planet: EARTH</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Crime: PIRACY</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sentence: LIFE</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Possibility of Parole: NONE</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Behavior: INSUBORDINATE</em>
</p>
<p>“Do you want to be punished as well, prisoner?!” Bora was about to unleash a barrage of profanities on him as all the anger and rage inside her boiled to the surface, but then she felt Handong move in her arms. “Please-,” she weakly croaked, “let it… let it be… Borabo…,” before falling unconscious again. “Listen to your friend, missy! Get back to work, you pirate scum!”</p>
<p>A bell sound rang in everyone’s helmets, indicating the end of the 12-hour shift. “Saved by the fucking bell, prisoner! Seems like you got lucky today!” The guard turned around to face the others. “Prisoners! You know the drill! Hand in your tools at the workstation! If even one screw is missing, none of you get to eat for a week! Is that clear? Now get out of my sight!” He began marching away but not before turning to face Bora and Handong one last time. “No food for both of you today! Now drag that sorry excuse for a human back to her cell!”</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>2 years later…</p>
<p>“We need to break out from here, Dongie.” “You’ve been saying that since we got here 2 years ago, babe.” “I know, but I think I have a plan.” “And what makes this plan any different than the last dozen plans?” “This one will definitely work! I’m 110% certain!” “Look at you, being the optimistic one suddenly! Also, you can’t get more than 100%, Borabora.” The raven-haired woman smacked her lover on her arm. “Ouch! What was that for?” “You being a bitch!” “But you like it when I’m bitchy, babe.” “I do, but not this time, baby! I want to get away from here, steal ships and take rich assholes’ money again! I miss seeing their pained faces when they realize that we got them by the short and curlies.” “You’re such a pirate, babe.” “And that’s why we got to get out, Dongie! I’m going insane being stuck in here! I’m like a bird, I need room to spread my wings and fly!” “Okay, you’ve clearly gone insane. Now come here and kiss me. We only have an hour before the lights turn back on.” “Fine, but can you do that thing with your tongue again?” “Sure, baby.”</p>
<p>That night, after dinner, Bora started to put things into motion. With the help of fellow inmates Lee Siyeon and Kim Minji, both imprisoned for the heinous crime of being in love on a planet that has outlawed homosexuality, and whose adventurous spirit has caught her eye, Bora used her luscious curves to seduce a guard just long enough for Handong to swipe her key card. The raven hated every second of it, but it was the only way and she had known for a while that the guard was smitten with her. Feeling him starting to drool from the corner of his mouth, Bora glanced at her partner who gave her a quick nod. Trying her best to wink back at Dongie, the guard snapped out of his trance. “What are you doing, prisoner? Why are you making that face?” Bora’s eyes immediately returned to the man in front of her. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just had something in my eye.” Fluttering her eyelids she used her deep voice to whisper: “You better get back to your post. And dream of me later~”</p>
<p>Back in their cell, Dongie eventually stopped clowning Bora long enough for them to get into their bunk beds before the lights were turned off for curfew. After the guards walked by for count like every night, they silently slipped out from under their sheets, used to key card to open their and Siyeon and Minji’s cell, before stealthily making their way past the guard station. The quartet could hear the men inside, making misogynistic jokes and generally belittling the inmates. Bora was this close to just opening the door and punching them all within an inch of their miserable lives.</p>
<p>“Leave them, Borabora! Please,” Handong sharply whispered into her lover’s ear, “let’s just go! The docks are this way.” Reluctantly, Bora followed after them, breathing deeply and releasing the tension that had caused her knuckles to go white. The group continued on down a long corridor, dimly lit only by the security lights. It took a moment for Bora’s eyes to adjust to the darkness, but after two years in this hell hole, she knew the place like the back of her hand.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, they made it to the docks with relative ease. Only once did they have to hide from a guard doing his nightly rounds. It all went smoothly – almost too smoothly for Bora and Handong’s liking. The pair had escaped from so many government and privately owned places, some with enough security to be classified as a small army. And they knew one thing was certain – things never go completely according to plan. Escaping from a super max prison facility can’t possibly be this easy, can it?</p>
<p>Bora didn’t get to finish her thought. Alarms started blaring all over and blast doors began to close automatically. They could her yelling and loud footsteps behind them, getting closer by the second. Handong looked to Bora, Siyeon and Minji, all nodding in unison. There was no stopping now. Getting caught trying to escape meant the death penalty, they knew that. “There they are! Get them!” The guards had caught up to them. The quartet ran for their lives as bullets started to ricochet from the metal walls of the corridor. They could already see the massive blast door separating them from the docks. It was slowly closing and there was barely enough space for them to get through.</p>
<p>Siyeon and Minji ducked underneath it and so did Handong. Bora, however, tripped and crashed down hard on the cold steel floor. The orange-haired woman turned around and went back into the corridor. “Come on, Borabora!” Her partner winced from the pain, blood seeping out from beneath her clothes as bullets whizzed around them. The gap underneath the door was getting smaller and smaller as Handong helped Bora to her feet. Bora’s heart was hammering in her ears, the gunshot wound in her shoulder burning like fire. But she managed to grab the hands of Minji and Siyeon who pulled her towards them and Handong rolled underneath the door, making it just in time before being crushed by the massive piece of metal.</p>
<p>The four of them lay collapsed on the floor of the docks, catching their breath. “These sons o-… Fuck that hurts!” Bora grabbed her shoulder. She tried to stand up but her knees went weak. Luckily Handong was there to catch her. “I’m so going to kill these entitled dickheads!,” the raven-haired woman cursed and another wave of pain reverberated through her body. Blood started to pool on the floor under her. “There’s no time for that! We need to go, now!” Minji and Siyeon each took one of Bora’s arms over their shoulders as they followed Handong who was looking for a ship.</p>
<p>“Over here! This is it!” The back hatch of the small frigate opened automatically as the quartet approached. Handong ran in and looked for the control panel. She could hear the guards yelling and shooting again. They must have opened the blast door a lot quicker than she had hoped. With Bora, Siyeon and Minji inside, she pressed the button to close the hatch. Air hissed as the yelling got quieter and the door finally closed with a metallic clonk.</p>
<p>After leaning down to press a quick kiss on Bora’s forehead, Handong turned around and sprinted towards the bridge, frantically typing on the command panel. All the systems jumped into life, from the almost inaudible hum of the life support to the whirring of the engine reactor starting up. The landing clamps de-attached from the hull and the frigate lifts off from the dock. But there was no time to relax for Handong, as she heard Minji screaming from the loading bay.</p>
<p>“Handong! Bora collapsed!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“WARNING! INCOMING MISSILES DETECTED! WARNING! INCOMING MISSILES DETECTED!” The ship’s onboard computer was flashing red alarm signs everywhere. “Take Bora to the med bay! It’s on your right down the hall! I need to get us away from these assholes!” Handong yelled through the PA.</p>
<p>“IMPACT IN 30 SECONDS!” “Fuck!” “IMPACT IN 20 SECONDS!” The orange-haired woman tried her best to steer the frigate clear of the missiles. “IMPACT IN 15 SECONDS!” Suddenly Handong had an idea. “REACTOR SHUTDOWN INITIATED!” “Come on, you bitch! Shut it down!” “IMPACT IN 10 SECONDS!” “Shut it fucking down!” “REACTOR SHUTDOWN COMPLETE!” Suddenly everything started to float around the ship. Shutting the reactor down halted the thrust – no thrust, no gravity. Handong held her breath. She would know in about 5 seconds if her idea had worked.</p>
<p>
  <em>Five.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Four.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Three.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Two.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>One.</em>
</p>
<p>Nothing. No impact. “It fucking worked! Holy shit!” But there was no time to celebrate. The guards were still chasing after them. Starting the reactor back up was a no-go, however. Those missiles had a lock on the drive signature are were still close enough to turn around and hit the ship. But then it dawned on Handong. They stole a frigate, a freaking Martian Navy frigate. This thing must be filled to the brim with enough weapons to turn their pursuers into nothing but dust. “Computer, initiate counter measures. List weapons, please.”</p>
<p>“COUNTER MEASURES INITIATED! CHECK HUD FOR DETAILED WEAPONS INVENTORY!”</p>
<p>Dongie turned around and almost her to pick up her jaw from the floor. “This thing has nukes?! What the hell?!” Other weapons listed were an assortment of missiles and high-powered rail guns. “Computer, boot up rail guns 6 through 10 and get ready to launch 4 missiles.” “ACKNOWLEDGED! RAIL GUNS READY!” She looked up at the screen. They were being followed by three crew transport ships, one frigate similar to the one they stole and one heavy cruiser. If she played her cards right, she might just take all of them out with one single attack. “Computer, target the transport ships with the rail guns and lock onto the drive signatures of the other two ships.” “CONFIRMED! TARGETS LOCKED! AWAITING COMMAND!” With one last evil smirk, the woman gave the order to fire.</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>“How is she?” Handong looked worried to death when she ran into med bay. “She’s still unconscious but her vitals have stabilized. It’s going to take a few hours before she’s awake again, Dongie,” Minji tried to calm her fellow escapee down. “Please! I can’t lose her!” “She’ll be fine, I promise. The bullet went straight through and didn’t hit any major arteries. With some luck, she might not even get a scar.” “Oh, please don’t tell her that, Minji. She would hate that. My baby loves scars. She thinks they make her even sexier.” “That does sound like her, actually,” said Siyeon from the other side of the room where she was cleaning a small cut on her cheek in the mirror.</p>
<p>“So, how are we looking, Captain Handong? I noticed the red warning flashes have stopped and the thrust gravity is back. Are they still following us?” Minji couldn’t hide the slight worry in her words as her pitch went up at the end. “Nobody is following us anymore. I made sure of that.” Handong showed no remorse or even guilt from what had just transpired a mere moments ago. Siyeon and Minji finally understood where she got her nickname of Ice Queen. Hellbora and Ice Queen Handong back at the helm of a stolen ship – truly a sight to behold. But when the captain leaned down to place a soft kiss on Bora’s forehead, a single tear rolled down her cheek, as if the only person able to overcome those icy walls was her partner in crime. The light in her eyes unmistakable when she looked at her lover.</p>
<p>“You guys should get some sleep. The computer is taking us to a nearby uninhabited asteroid where Borabora and I stashed a few things for hard times. I’ll stay here with her, make sure everything’s going to be alright. Take a nice hot shower and get some rest, okay? It’s going to take us two days to get there.” Siyeon and Minji looked at each other, tired as they were, and then thanked the captain before heading off to the living quarters.</p>
<p>“Computer, how long to our destination?” “DESTINATION: PALLAS! ESTIMATED TRAVEL TIME: 57 HOURS!” “Good, alert me if there are any ships nearby, no matter what kind.” “ACKNOWLEDGED!”</p>
<p>And with that Handong let herself slouch down on the floor beside Bora’s bed, the faint beeping of the heart rate monitor the only sound disturbing the quietness of the room. “A lot of things happened today, Borabora.” The captain spoke with a low tone, not wanting to wake up her lover but talk to her at the same time. “I did some things I’m not proud of. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have you by my side and I will do everything in my power to make sure, you’ll recover. You said you’d help me find the bright black heaven my dad always talked about. He spent hours telling me about it. He said it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. And I want to see it for the first time with you. You’re going to recover in no time. I know you, Kim Bora. You’re the most strong-willed person I’ve ever met. There’s nothing you can’t overcome, nothing that’s going to stop you. No matter how desperate things got, you always found a way. You’re my soulmate and I wouldn’t know what to do without you.” Another tear rolled down Handong’s cheek and her lip started to quiver as she reached up and interlaced her fingers with her partner’s. “I love you, Kim Bora.”</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>“You two look like you had quite the night.” Handong smirked as Siyeon and Minji came into the break room. Almost instantly their cheeks turned bright red as they looked at each other. “Don’t worry, I turned off the mics in your room before you got going. I’m sure you forgot in the heat of the moment.” “Can we please talk about something else?” Minji pleaded with the captain. “What did you have in mind, miss &gt;Come to mommy!&lt;?” All three turned around in shock as a small raven-haired woman, arm in a sling, walked in. “BORA!!!” They jumped out of their chairs and ran towards the injured woman. “Hey guys. Missed me?” Bora’s smirk made Handong’s look amateur by comparison. “They should really put some effort into making the sleeping quarters sound-proof. Siyeon’s screams are loud enough to wake the dead. Are maybe yet, classify them as sound-proof but not Siyeon-proof because my god you’re a screamer.” Siyeon looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole, especially when Minji added “What can I say, I’m just that good,” before bursting out laughing.</p>
<p>“Don’t sell yourself shorter than you are, Borabora. You’re no church mouse either,” Handong snickered. Bora gave her partner a death stare before joining in and laughing together with the others. Freedom had never felt so good.</p>
<p>“ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION PALLAS IN 1 HOUR!” The computer interrupted them. “What did you guys stash there, if you don’t mind my asking?” “Oh, just some extra food, clothes, weapons, passports,… the usual pirate stuff. We should also get some new ID’s for you lovebirds. I’m sure the president of Mars won’t be happy to hear you two escaped. But our contact on Vesta should be able to hook us up. I’ll send him a message once were in range.” “Thank you, Bora. And you, too, Handong. Truly, thank you. We owe you our lives.” “It’s all good, Minji. You and Siyeon can finally be happy together and that’s all that matters, right?” “Right!” The red-head leaned over and kissed her blonde partner on the cheek. “Should we finish our breakfast before heading over to our stash site?” “Sounds like a plan, Dongie. But my arm is still injured so I might need you to feed me.” “Anything for my baby girl.” “Who’s the mommy now, huh?” The foursome burst out into laughter again.</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>“Can you grab that pistol for me, babe?” “Sure, Borabora, but do you really want to come with us? Your arm is still injured and we don’t know if someone’s waiting over there for us.” “As if you could stop me, sweetie. I’m coming with you. End of discussion.” Minji made sure, the three space suits were sealed properly before leaving the airlock and closing the door behind her. “Come back in one piece, okay, guys?,” she said over the intercom. All three of them showed her a thumbs up before getting into position. Rather than take the time and built a walkway to the other ship – the pirates had stashed everything on an old freighter – the trio had decided to use the energy from the air being sucked into the vacuum of space by opening the airlock quickly to fling them over. Once there, they would use the thrusters in their military grade space suits to decelerate and land safely on the hull of the abandoned ship.</p>
<p>“Ready? And three, two, one…” The outer door opened, pulling them out of the airlock with ease and rocketing them towards the freighter. “Woohoo!” Bora and Siyeon exclaimed at the same time. The HUD of their suits showed the distance to their target. “500 meters and closing. Get ready to deploy thrusters on my call… now!” Handong gave the command and they all slowed down quickly, landing softly on the metal hull. Activating the magnets in their boots, the walked towards a hole on the outside of the ship. The ship was badly damaged and all the air had escaped, meaning they had to keep wearing the space suits. Once inside they turned on the powerful lights on their helmets, illuminating their path. “It’s just down here,” Bora said and lead them along the long corridor.</p>
<p>“Ah yes, right where we left it, Dongie.” The trio came upon a large metal crate marked with a spray painted frozen skull with a spiky crown and two red guns crossed behind it, the pair’s pirate sign. “It matches you perfectly,” Siyeon said. “Thanks, we thought of it together. Every pirate should have call sign. And when other pirates see ours, they know they fucked up big time,” Bora chuckled. She typed in the combination and opened the crate. Everything was just as they left it. “Alright, let’s close this sucker back up and take it with us back to our ship.” She deactivated the magnetic clamps holding it in place and kicked it back up the corridor towards the hole they came in. “Zero gravity makes everything easier, doesn’t it?” “It sure does, Borabora,” Handong grinned before picking up her partner bridal style. “Let me down! You know I hate it when you do that, babe!” “I know you do, and that’s why I love doing it, just to annoy you!” The grin on Dongie’s face almost went from ear to ear and she blew a kiss to Bora before putting her back down.</p>
<p>“Could you two holster it for just one minute, please? I just want to get back to the ship. This place is seriously giving me the creeps.” “Sure thing, Siyeon. Let’s go, captain DongDong. Lead the way.” Bora bought extremely deep to taunt her partner, but her act of sarcasm was completely ignored when Handong took her literally and marched away. Siyeon couldn’t help but grab her stomach from laughing so hard at Bora’s puzzled expression. “Minji, we’re on our way back,” Bora managed to communicate over the intercom before trotting behind her lover like a sad puppy.</p>
<p>Back on the frigate Handong and Bora were on the bridge alone. The other two volunteered to check the contents of the crate and take care of food preparations. “So, captain DongDorongDongDong, where to next?” “Oh I don’t know, captain Bboya. What did you have in mind?” “How about Vesta?” “Really, you want to get rid of the lovebirds as soon as possible, huh?” “No! I love them! They’re so cute and easy to tease. But wherever we go next, they should have new IDs just in case. It’s called thinking ahead, love. You should try I sometimes.” Bora got on her toes to nibble at Handong’s earlobe. “Don’t tell me you’re horny again, babe.” “Horny is my standard setting. I’m a sex robot who just happens to be an amazing pirate.” “Then let’s set the nav for Vesta and get back to our room. Sound good, Bora~?” “It does, Miss Han. And please leave the room mics on. I’m going to show them what real passion sounds like,” Bora breathed heavy into Dongie’s ear. “You mean deafen them and scar them for life?” “Yah!” “I’m kidding, baby. How about we make this a competition and turn their room mics on as well?” “I like your thinking, DongDong. Maybe there’s something resembling a brain in that pretty head of yours after all.” And with that Handong attacked Bora with tickles, chasing her across half the ship towards the captain’s quarters. “Computer… uh… set… oh God… course for… hmph… Vesta Space Harbor… fuck!” “DESTINATION: VESTA HARBOR, ACKNOWLEDGED! ESTIMATED TRAVEL TIME 6 DAYS!”</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>“WARNING! INCOMING NUCLEAR MISSILE DETECTED! WARNING! INCOMING NUCLEAR MISSILE DETECTED!”</p>
<p>“What the actual fuck? Who is shooting at us in the middle of goddamn nowhere?!” Handong sprinted to the bridge and pulled up the radar on the HUD. It clearly showed 2 Martian Destroyers heading their way, clearly outmatching the fire power of their frigate. “How the fuck did they find us?! This ship is supposed to be basically invisible to anything but actual sight contact!”</p>
<p>“IMPACT IN 3 MINUTES!”</p>
<p>“Computer, initiate counter measures!” “ACKNOWLEDGED! COUNTER MEASURES INITIATED! DEPLOYING FLAIRS!” A barrage of tiny dots appeared all around the ship on the radar screen and not even 5 seconds later, the missile collided with one of them, creating a shockwave that rocked the entire ship. “Who’s shooting at us, Dong?” “We got two Martian Destroyers on our 6, babe, and they’re not messing around. They’re using nukes.” “Then let’s show them that messing with Queen Bora will be the last mistake they make.” The raven hopped into the control chair, grabbing the joystick and the head set in one move. “Here we go, kids. Strap in. Mama’s going to kick some Martian ass!”</p>
<p>The agile frigate and Bora moved like they were one being. This was how Bora got started – just being a damn good pilot. She had a natural gift for flying but after her continued problems with authority figures she was deemed not fit to serve in the United Nations Navy. All she wanted was to fly spaceships, however. So one day she smuggled herself on a freighter set for Ceres and began her life as an outlaw space pirate, meeting her partner in crime in the process. Handong was supposed to be sold to a private collector who was collecting rare and unique humans, as disgusting as that sounds. And with her superior intellect and bright orange hair, the back then fragile young girl seemed like a nice payday for some human traffickers. Too bad Bora saw the deal about to go down and decided to stick her nose in.</p>
<p>But that’s all in the past now, as Bora moves swiftly through the rail gun fire the two destroyers blasted at her. The tiny metal projectiles travelling at many times the speed of sound either missed or bounced of the armored hull of the frigate. She had to leave it to those damn Martians – they built a damn good ship. “Computer, ready nuclear missile 3 and 4.” “ACKNOWLEDGED!” “Ready to fire on my mark.” She was about to give the command but a stray salvo from one of the destroyers hit the frigate’s radar array, basically blinding it. “WARNING RADAR DAMAGED! UNABLE TO TARGET LOCK! RISK ASSESSMENT! USE OF NUCLEAR MISSILES NOT ADVISED!”</p>
<p>“Shut up, you useless piece of shit! Put front cameras on HUD!” There they were: two brand new, fully armed Martian Navy destroyers. They were heading straight for them. “Dongie, I need you!” “Way ahead of you, Borabora! You take the left one, I take care of our friend on the right!” “Godspeed, babe!” Siyeon and Minji were in awe of the pair. Their chemistry was unmatched, as if they were operating as one mind. “Fire!” They both gave the command in unison. “MISSILES LAUNCHED! TIME TO IMPACT: 15 SECONDS!” “Let’s get the fuck out of here before these babies go off! Strap in!” The thrust gravity pressed them into their seats with enormous force. “We’re not going to make it, babe! We’re still within blast range!” “Come on, you bitch! Give me just a little bit more! Just a little more!” She could feel the blood rushing from her brain down to her lower body from the heavy gravitational forces pressing on her frame. “FUCK!” And then the world went around her went black.</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>“It worked just like you planned, admiral!” “Of course it did, commander. These poor excuses for pirates are just so predictable.” “Sir! We scanned the entire ship. 3 humans were detected.” “Only 3, huh? Then would you care to tell me how where standing in front of 4 people?” “Sir.” “Check again. Something must be wrong with the sensors.” “Yes, sir.” “The report said 4 people escaped the prison on a Martian Navy frigate. There are 4 people here. Case closed, I would say.” “Sir, scans still indicate only 3 life forms aboard this ship.” “Check the files. There must be photos to identify these bastards.” “Yes, sir. Pulling up the files on the HUD. Escapees: Lee Siyeon, 24, blonde hair. Kim Minji, 26, red hair. Kim Bora, 26, black hair. Handong, age unknown, orange hair.” “Sounds like we got them. But what to you mean age unknown. How can that be? Don’t we do molecular screenings on all prisoners to find their real identities?” “Yes, sir, admiral, we do.” “So why then, soldier, do we not know her age?” “I don’t know, sir. Maybe a glitch or an oversight on the prison’s behalf.” “Maybe. But something tells me, there’s more to this one then meets the eye.” The admiral walked over to the unconscious pile of bodies. “Who are you?” He kneeled down and got within inches of Handong’s face.</p>
<p>That’s when she opened her eyes, reached up and broke his neck. His lifeless husk collapsed right next to her with a thud that alarmed the other soldiers. Handong quickly stood up and ran towards them, faster than any human could. They were all dead before they even had a chance to draw their weapons. A loud alarm sounded throughout the ship. Handong turned to check on her fellow escapees. Their breathing was stable, they were just unconscious. Then she sprinted to the bridge, bringing up the ship’s cameras on the display. The frigate was being held by two massive clamps, anchoring it to a Martian Navy heavy cruiser. Scans indicate a total of 8 soldiers still on board the frigate, with a further 137 still on the heavy cruiser. Cameras in the cargo bay showed two soldiers removing a device from the stash crate they had picked up a few days ago. That’s how they found them. It was a trap all along. But Handong showed no emotion, her face devoid of any signs of anger or fear. She only had one thing in mind: eliminate the boarding party without alarming the remaining soldiers. Having memorized their locations within milliseconds, she raced towards med bay first.</p>
<p>Two soldiers. Dead in seconds. Necks broken.</p>
<p>Next was the cargo bay. Four soldiers. Not a single shot fired.  Necks broken. She also made sure to completely destroy the location beacon, making sure they wouldn’t be followed again.</p>
<p>And finally the two guarding the walkway between the two airlocks. Just two muffled thud sounds as their bodies dropped to the floor.</p>
<p>She then raced back towards the bridge, not a single drop of sweat on her face. Cracking the boarding party’s security code within seconds, she disengaged the clamps, destroying the walkway and making sure, no soldiers would come on board. Quickly engaging the battery powered thrusters to move the ship out of range of the heavy cruiser, she went back to Bora, Siyeon and Minji. Carrying them like they were children, all three at once, she carefully placed them on their respective beds in the living quarters. About to head back to the bridge, Handong quickly turned for a glance at her lover when she was hit so hard she flew across the room and crashed into the back wall. Shaking her head as she stood back up, she was face to face with a fully armed Martian Navy soldier controlling an exoskeleton space suit. He must have jumped across the walkway as it collapsed and went in through the air lock. Handong wasted no time attacking the soldier, jumping on his back and ripping the helmet off with her bare hands. In a panic he swung his arms wildly, hitting her face and sending her flying into the wall again. “Fucking android!,” the soldier screamed as he opened fire on her. The bullets bounced off her body, tearing pieces of flesh with them, revealing shiny wires and metal plates under the skin. Sprinting towards the soldier again, she avoided his arms and grabbed him by his throat, pulling him out of his suit before snapping his neck like a twig. But then she heard a beeping sound and something rolling across the floor. The soldier had dropped a grenade as he died. Handong instantly weighed all the options and then jumped on the explosive device, hoping to shield the still unconscious Bora from the blast.</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>When Bora came to a few hours later, it took a few moments for her to figure out where she was. The room was dark and dusty. She looked around and saw the silhouette of two people and something large and metallic on the floor. “Computer, lights!” But what she saw almost made her stomach turn inside out. The dead body of the soldier with his head twisted all the way around was one thing, but seeing her lover, her Handong on the floor, flesh torn off her body, pieces of hair missing, was too much for her. Tears in her eyes she jumped down and ran to her partner. She turned her over and onto her back. That’s when she almost dropped her on the floor. All the skin and flesh had been torn from her torso and half of her face, revealing a shiny metal body inside her. “Ha-… Hand-… Handong?,” she stammered before letting out of earth shattering scream that reverberated throughout the entire ship. Within seconds Minji and Siyeon rushed into the room but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Handong, or at least, what looked like Handong.</p>
<p>“What the fuck happened?!” “I have no idea. The last thing I remember was us trying to outrun the nuclear explosion from the two Martian destroyers. And then passing out from the g-forces.” “BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DONGIE?!,” Bora screamed at them. Her whole body was shaking as she held her lifeless partner in her arms.</p>
<p>Suddenly Handong stirred. A red light was blinking in her left eye as she looked around the room. “Borabora!” The android smiled at the raven. “What happened? Why are you looking at me like that? I’m sure I’ve had better days but there’s nothing a quick shower and some nice hot and steamy sex can’t fix, right, baby?” The shiny metal teeth that formed the grin Handong gave Bora reflected the light from the ceiling. “Baby? Hello? Earth to Borabora? Anyone home?” The smaller woman scooted away from the android, fear plastered across her face. “Handong?” she asked unsurely. “Yes, Borabora? Why do you keep looking at me like I’m a ghost?” “Handong?” the android looked towards Siyeon and Minji. They looked terrified of her which confused her even more. “What is going on? Please, someone tell me! Are we safe no-“ The android froze mid-sentence.</p>
<p>Bora slowly stood up and walked towards it. Carefully she touched the metal shoulder with her fingertip. The android came back to life and looked at her. But as soon as it spoke, something was clearly wrong.</p>
<p>“Hello. I’m BBH-7, designation Handong. It’s nice to meet you you you you you….” It froze again, the blinking red light fading into darkness.</p>
<p>Bora just stood there and screamed with everything that was left in her body. Her mind just couldn’t handle this situation. Siyeon and Minji quickly came to her and held her tightly in their arms. “It’s going to be okay, Bora. It’s all going to be okay.” They felt the pirate relaxing into the hug before the screaming stopped and her breathing got steadier. A quick glace told them that Bora was unconscious again. The scream must have zapped all her energy. Carefully they placed on the mattress and covered her with the blanket. Then they turned around to look at android, standing in the middle of the room like a statue.</p>
<p>“What did it say? BBH-7?” “I believe that’s what it said.” “Hmm…” “What are you thinking about, Singnie?” Siyeon walked around the android who still had the weak smile on its face. “I’ve heard about this before. Somewhere on a science outpost on Titan a couple of researchers were caught experimenting with AI technology if I remember correctly. I think they were fired and about to be put on trial but they escaped. Let me check something really quick.” She walked to the control panel next to the door and started browsing the ships archives. Meanwhile Minji was still checking out the android. It had clearly been damaged and the pieces of flesh covering the metal frame were burnt at the edges. It looked like something you might see in one of those old movies she loved watching growing up but at the same time, it was still Handong, just different.</p>
<p>“Got it! Neuroscientist Kim Yoohyeon and Robotics Engineer Lee Yubin were caught developing artificial intelligence software beyond the limits set by the ethics treaty signed by both the United Nations council and the Martian military government. Their research was destroyed and all data erased. They were immediately let go by SM Enterprises and handed over to the authorities. Trial was set but they escaped from the transport ship via an escape pod, which crashed somewhere on Ganymede. They are still wanted by both Earth and Mars. They’re considered highly dangerous. Any hints leading to their capture will be rewarded with 50 million credits.”</p>
<p>“That’s all well and good, babe. But why do you with think they created Handong?” “Well, because of the serial code. BBH-7. The research they were doing was designated as Project Bright Black Heaven. BBH. So I’m guessing Handong was their seventh attempt.” “If all that is true, Singnie, then we should try and find them, what were there names again? Kim Yubin and Lee Yoohyeon?” “The other way around. Kim Yoohyeon and Lee Yubin. And how would you even know where to look for them? Earth and Mars have been unsuccessful in locating them for years. How are we supposed to find them?” “Does the article include a picture?” “Uhm… yes it does. It’s a whole video clip actually, showing them being escorted of their lab by the authorities.” “Perfect! Computer? Please set a course for Ganymede.” “ACKNOWLEDGED! DESTINATION: GANYMEDE! ESTIMATED TRAVEL TIME: 3 DAYS 4 HOURS!” “And what makes you think they’re still on Ganymede? Just because the escape pod crashed there doesn’t mean they didn’t go anywhere else afterwards.”             “Just trust me on this one, okay, Singnie?” “Sure, okay.” “Good, and now help me get rid of all this carnage. We can put Handong into the metal crate. It should be big enough for her.”</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>The next few days were hard for Bora. Even though she agreed to Minji’s plan, there was still this unmistakable void in her life. She barely slept and basically spent every waking minute staring with crying eyes at the crate in cargo bay, sometimes reaching out to open it but holding back just in time. It broke Minji’s and Siyeon’s hearts to look at the once proud space pirate being a sobbing inconsolable mess in total despair. They can only hope to find the scientists. Maybe they have a way of fixing Handong.</p>
<p>The pair went through every available data base, every news article, everything they could find in hope of finding any crumbs that would lead them to Kim Yoohyeon and Lee Yubin. But it was like they disappeared from not only the face of the earth but that of Luna, Mars and the Belt as well, vanished into thin air. Once they reached Ganymede station, they disembarked after talking to Bora, or a least telling her where they were going. The pirate was still beside the crate, a shell of her former self, not talking and barely eating.</p>
<p>Siyeon and Minji went to the bazaar right next to the harbor. If they were going to continue their search, they needed to stock up on food. They were really sick of the pre-packed military rations and with all the money from the crate, they could buy actual food grown in green houses, and not just the mushroom based shit that was usually sold everywhere. They looked on rows upon rows of tomatoes, apples, strawberries, and so much more. They really struggled to keep themselves from not just jumping the barricades and eating their way through the bazaar stands. After filling a few bags with enough food to feed a small battalion of soldiers, they put everything on a cart and started to head back to the ship.</p>
<p>But then out of the corner of her eye Siyeon saw a little girl following them, trying her best to seem inconspicuous but failing miserably. She didn’t say anything to Minji, however, as the girl had sparked her interest and she was waiting on what the little one would do. Suddenly the girl ran towards them, grabbed a bag of fresh strawberries out of their cart and ran into the crowd of people as fast as her little legs could carry her. “Stay here, Minji. I’m getting your strawberries back, my bunny.”</p>
<p>The blonde woman chased the small girl across the entire bazaar, sometimes losing sight of her but finding her quickly again when she noticed people swerving out of the way. Finally she caught up with her, reaching to grab her hoodie and pulling her up off the ground. Trying the wiggle her way out of the woman’s grip, the little girl put on the cutest pout Siyeon had ever seen. “I believe those are my strawberries, missy.” “No they’re not! They’re all mine!” Quickly the girl began stuffing the fruits into her mouth, like a chipmunk would do with hazel nuts. It warmed Siyeon’s heart looking at her but at the same time, those were actually her strawberries and the little kid had stolen them from her and Minji.</p>
<p>When the girl’s cheeks were bloated enough to make a puffer fish jealous, the woman offered the girl a deal. “Okay, you seem to really like strawberries, don’t you? How about this? You give me the rest of the bag you have there because my girlfriend Minji picked those out herself and I’m going back to the vendor with you and you can pick out a whole bag for yourself and I’m going to pay for them. How does that sound?” The little girl’s eyes practically sparkled at Siyeon’s offer and she quickly nodded, handing the now only half-filled bag back to the woman. “Come on then, kiddo. Let’s get you some strawberries. What is your name, by the way? I’m Siyeon but you can call me Singnie.” She smiled at the girl who was still trying to chew all those berries in her mouth. “I… Ga…on…” “Gaon? That’s an interesting name.” The little one finally swallowed the rest of the fruit before taking a deep breaths. It was just too adorable for words. “Not Gaon, I’m Gahyeon!” “Ah! Gahyeon, what a pretty name for a pretty girl like you. Where are your parents, Gahyeonie?” Every time she looked at the little girl hopping beside her it brough a smile to her face. “My mums are in their labatory. Sometimes they get really into their work, you know?” “Laboratory? So your parents are scientists?” “Yes they are! They’re the best scientists ever!”</p>
<p>They had arrived at the vendor and Gahyeon’s eyes grew ever bigger when she saw the man put all the strawberries she chose into a bag and then handed it to her. Siyeon quickly paid him before turning to the girl and kneeling down beside her. “Should we get you home, now? Your mums might be worried where you are.” Gahyeon quickly nodded and grabbed the woman’s hand. Siyeon put her other hand to her ear and activated the intercom device to tell Minji to already go ahead to the ship. “Now let’s go, Gahyeonie! You lead the way!”</p>
<p>For a good 20 to 30 minutes the walked across the bazaar before heading into what seemed like a dimly lit back alley from when the station was being built. The workers back then used corridors and alleys that were closed off to the public or just abandoned as time passed. “Are you sure this is the right way, Gahyeonie?” “Yes, Singnie! My mums’ labatory is here!” The girl jumped over a few trash bins and squeezed through a hole in a fence, a difficult task for the much taller woman to follow. Finally they arrived at a huge metal door with a big &gt;DANGER&lt; sign on it. Gahyeon looked up at Siyeon and pointed towards a control panel next to the door. “Can you press 2, 2, 4 and 8?” The woman looked confused but punched in the combination, nonetheless.</p>
<p>With a loud clink noise, the door squeaked open, sliding to the side revealing a basically brand new looking room behind it. Everything looked like it was just recently put here, nothing like the run-down, dilapidated exterior. Gahyeon put the bag on a table next to the wall and gestured Siyeon to follow her. They reached another metal door, but just like the rest of the room, it looked barely used. Gahyeon knocked a few times and it slid open, revealing a lab coat wearing woman in her late twenties with washed out silver hair and glasses. “Mummy Yoohyeonie!” The girl hugged the woman’s leg like a koala. She ruffled the little one’s hair before looking up at Siyeon. “I’m sorry if she caused you any trouble. She was supposed to do her homework but she somehow manages to escape from time to time. We still haven’t figured out how she’s doing it, however.” She turned around into the room and spoke to someone else Siyeon couldn’t see. “Yubinah! We should really check Gahyeon’s programming. I think she escaped again!”</p>
<p>And then it hit Siyeon like a ton of bricks! “Oh my fucking god!” The swear word made Gahyeon flinch and Siyeon’s instantly regretted using it, but at the same time, she couldn’t believe who she just stumbled across. “You- You’re Kim Yoohyeon! And that back there is Lee Yubin! Oh my f- god! Oh my god! I can’t believe this!” Yoohyeon turned back around and looked at Siyeon with a mix of fear, excitement and pure confusion. “Uhm… no, you must have us confused. My name is … uhm… Nayeon! Im Nayeon!” The blonde woman could see the scientist swallow hard, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, Kim Yoohyeon. I’m not here to arrest you or anything. Me and my partner have been looking for you, however.” “Now I’m even more confused. Yubinah? Can you come to the door please?” “Just a second, Yooh! I’m really close to finishing this actuator!” “You can do that later. Please, it’s really important!” “Ugh! Fine, what is it?” Lee Yubin, also wearing a lab coat and sporting equally washed out blue hair, appeared beside Yoohyeon in the door. “Who are you?”</p>
<p>Siyeon couldn’t believe her eyes. How big was this coincidence?! Minji was definitely going to flip out when she told her. “Uhm… I’m sorry. My name is Lee Siyeon. I found Gahyeon at the bazaar and helped her get home. But like I said, I’ve been looking for you. We need your help!” Yubin eyed the blonde woman for head to toe and back up again. Seemingly having decided that she wasn’t a threat, she relaxed her posture a bit. “What can we do for you?” “You worked on Project Bright Black Heaven, right?” The scientists slightly nodded, still not sure what to make of this situation. “Do you remember BBH-7?” Yoohyeon’s jaw almost dropped to the floor before she collected herself and stammered: “Han-? You found Handong?!” “Yes, but she’s badly damaged. We had to escape the Martian Navy not long ago and she jumped on a grenade to save us, but I think it was too much for her.”</p>
<p>“The- The ma- The Martian Navy? So you’re…” “Well, we escaped from prison a few days ago. Me, my girlfriend Minji, and the pirates Kim Bora and Handong.” “P-p-p-pirate? Handong became a pirate?!” “Yes, she and Bora are quite notorious, actually. But the Martians had us trapped and during the escape she was damaged. She’s back on the ship.” Yoohyeon turned to Yubin, and without another word they grabbed a couple of bags from the lab, put on hooded cloaks and followed Siyeon back to the ship.</p>
<p>Minji and Bora was sitting beside the crate, looking confused when the hatch opened and the first thing they saw was a little girl hopping in. “What the- Oh! Siyeonah! Who’s that?” “Lee Yubin and Kim Yoohyeon!” “What?! How?! I don’t-?!” “That’s not important now. They’re here to try and fix Handong!” Bora flinched at the name but silently scooted aside to make way for the scientist duo. When they opened the crate Yoohyeon pressed her hands over her mouth in shock. “Oh my god! Look at you! Poor baby!” Carefully they lifted the android out of the metal box and placed her on the floor, turning her over on her stomach. Yubin placed a hand on Handong’s neck, lifting her hair up and seemingly pressing a button. A small opening with a socket appeared on the neck, into which Yoohyeon connected a data cable before frantically typing away on her tablet. Siyeon and Minji interlaced their fingers as they looked while Gahyeon sad beside the stoically onlooking Bora.</p>
<p>After a what seemed like hours, Yoohyeon and Yubin let out a collective sigh. The blue-haired scientist stepped towards Bora, who looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. “You’re Bora, right? Your name is all over Handong’s code. You must be a big part of her.” The pirate swallowed and sniffled, still not having uttered a single word since the incident. “I have some good and some bad news. The bad news is the body is damaged beyond repair. There is simply no way to fix it. I’m very sorry.” A heavy sob and Bora was crying again. Gahyeon leaned her head onto Bora’s shoulder, cuddling into her. “The good news, however, is her personality matrix is completely intact. There’s no damage to it in any way.” “She was always strong-willed and stubborn…” Bora croaked through the tears, her voice hoarse from all the crying. “I can believe that. But the even better news is that, if you let us, we can try and transfer her personality matrix into a new body. It would basically be the same Handong but in a new body.” “But- but- Handong…” “… is still there. Everything that made her the Handong you fell in love with, who loved you with her entire being, is still there. All she needs is a new body.” “My Dongie…”</p>
<p>Yubin kneeled down in front of Bora, looking her into her eyes. “What do you think makes us human, Kim Bora? There is no fundamental difference between the way your brain works and the way Handong’s programming is built. Your personality, everything that makes you who you are, is just the neurons in your brain firing electrical signals back and forth. And it’s exactly the same with Handong, but instead of neurons it’s transistors and electrical receptors. Be honest, in all the time you spent with her, did you ever feel like she wasn’t human?” “No…” “See, that’s what I mean. She feels just the way you feel, emotions are just the same as they are for you. Love will always be love, no matter what.” “Dongie…”</p>
<p>“Yooh? Do we still have the original designs for Handong?” “Of course, dear. I saved them before those evil men came and tried to take away our babies!” “Okay, Bora, will you let us try and transfer Handong’s personality matrix to a new body? She will be exactly the same as she was before, I promise, hand on my heart.” “Please, let them try, Bora.” Siyeon and Minji had come over to the pirate and put their hands on her shoulder. “It will be the same Handong.”</p>
<p>----</p>
<p>Ten years later…</p>
<p>“You’re really dead-set on adding another scar to your collection, aren’t you, Borabora?” “You like my sexy scars, Dongdong, admit it.” There it was again, the trademark Kim Bora smirk.</p>
<p>“Would you two love birds quit your chitchat for just one fucking second? We’re kind of being shot at right now and I would hate for Minji to kill all of us if we don’t make it out alive!” “Relax, Singsing! We got this handled! Don’t worry your pretty little head, it gives you wrinkles!” She winked at Siyeon before looking at Handong. Handong looked back at Bora, blowing her a quick kiss. “Let’s do this!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading this monstrosity. You have no idea how this means too me.<br/>I also want to thank two very special people:<br/>First, my good friend and fiery spanish lady, Laura (@radicalmomocist), who put together this whole thing and had to deal with missed deadlines, questions upon questions and so and so forth. You're a legend!<br/>And secondly the amazing Mariah, who not only helped me figure out some of the details of this plot but also created some unbelievable artwork for this story. Please check her out @Mystic_Pegasus. She's incredible as an artist and a human being.<br/>Special shutout to Miss Shae (@wolfiesiyeon) and Miss B (@precisiyeon) for the help with this plot as well!!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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